All of a sudden, pubs either have taps they never had before or they’re carrying bottles from tiny breweries you’ve probably never heard of.

Up until recently if you’d asked for an IPA in most places you’d be the recipient of a baffled look – now they ask you which hop varietal you’re into.

Things have changed.

Recognising the public’s growing taste for new and interesting beers has allowed one of the world’s most famous breweries to open up about its penchant for creating experimental brews.

Guinness is a name long synonymous with its signature stout, but as well as producing one of the best and most reliable pints on the planet, Guinness has always had an innovative side – remember the 2005/2006 Brewhouse series? Guinness has been showcasing its interest in new and exciting beers for years now.

For over a century there has been an experimental brewery at St. James’s Gate where brewers are given license to explore new recipes, reinterpret old ones and experiment freely to bring exciting new beers to life.

Last November, Guinness, to the delight of beer lovers, proudly opened its gates to the experimental brewery, giving regular punters the chance to taste small batch beers that might never have seen the light of day otherwise.

So far The Open Gate Brewery has proven extremely popular – but why should the people of Dublin be the only ones to benefit?

Now Belfast beer fans can get in on the action as Guinness is making some of its small batch brews available to 25 pubs around the city. Each pub will have an Open Brewery tap, with a new beer available every other month. The first release is the Rye Pale Ale, which has been described as having a “beautifully balanced bitterness” that will appeal to IPA aficionados.

To celebrate the launch of The Open Gate Brewery taps in Belfast pubs, there will be a special event in Belfast’s Golden Thread on August 3 showcasing a number of the small batch brews.

The event, an immersive beer and food tasting experience, will showcase delicious produce from local food suppliers which has been paired with brews from The Open Gate Brewery. You can expect savouries from Brough Gammon, Zak’s Bakehouse, Dart Mountain Cheese and Mourne Seafood. Or if you want to indulge your sweet tooth, there’ll be ice cream from Draynes Farm and treats from Doughzy Doughnuts.

Brews on offer at the event will include Rye Pale Ale, Strawberry Porter, Hop House 13 and Botanical Ale. And you will, of course, be able get a pint of the trusty black stuff should you so desire. The Rye Pale Ale will be the first brew on The Open Gate Brewery taps in 25 of Belfast’s pubs this month.

To find out more about The Open Gate Brewery and to view a full list of bars with The Open Gate Brewery tap in Belfast, visit www.GuinnessOpenGate.com . For more updates, follow @OpenGateBrewery and #GuinnessOpenGate on Twitter.